Battery issue turn-in point saves Army money

Courtesy Photo |
Spc. James Bowman, a utilities equipment repairer for the ground support equipment......read moreread more

Courtesy Photo | Spc. James Bowman, a utilities equipment repairer for the ground support equipment section in the 514th Support Maintenance Company, charges batteries on a Pulsetech charger after verifying the batteries are rechargeable. These batteries are issued to various units in Afghanistan by the battery issue turn-in point ran by the GSE section in Bagram Air Field.
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BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

08.13.2014

Courtesy Story

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – The 514th Support Maintenance Company Ground Support Equipment section runs the battery issue turn-in point here in addition to providing maintenance support on various ground support equipment such as generators, heaters, air conditioners and heavy equipment.

The BITIP is a battery maintenance management program, which returns recharged batteries back to the Army supply system.
The objective is to reduce the requisitioning of batteries in Afghanistan by maximizing the use of available batteries.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Kufuor, GSE maintenance technician, and Sgt. Kason McGriff, BITIP noncommissioned officer in charge, lead a team of three Soldiers who are responsible for receiving, charging and issuing batteries.

“When we receive batteries, we first test them with a multimeter to see if they can accept a charge of four volts or more,” said McGriff. “If the batteries accept four volts or more, we put them on a Pulsetech charger for 24 hours. If they do not accept four volts or more, we stimulate the batteries before placing them in the charger.”

McGriff continued to explain how the batteries are continuously monitored and routinely checked during charge cycles.

“After 24 hours, we test all batteries with a battery analyzer to determine if it’s good or bad,” said McGriff. “We put the good batteries into a container and turn in the bad batteries.”

The only type of batteries that can be requested, received and turned in by the BITIP are rechargeable gel-type batteries. The most common types of batteries that are at the BITIP are the Hawker batteries.

Hawker batteries are used in most vehicles that require 12-volt batteries. The cost of a Hawker battery is more than $300 each.

These batteries are able to be recovered through a deep charge. Being able to recharge these batteries reduces the number of batteries ordered in theater and saves the Army money.

Since taking over the BITIP program in March 2014, the 514th SMC has tested and recovered more than 2000 batteries and has saved the Army more than $500,000.

Overall, the BITIP has improved the readiness of military vehicles and equipment in addition to reducing the battery consumption rate in Afghanistan.

“We consistently strive to be good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars while assisting in maintaining optimal readiness rates throughout Afghanistan,” said Kufuor.